1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for making a beverage in a container. For example, the device may be used to make tea in a standard two liter bottle.
2. Description of Related Art
Teas and drink mixes are often packaged in relatively flat paper bags which are placed in water and allowed to steep or dissolve in water. When making tea, it is not generally desirable to steep the tea bag in the water for too long a time as the tea becomes bitter. A string with a paper tab is typically attached to the bag for securing the bag in a container and removing the tea bag once the tea is at the desired strength. There are many problems in using this kind of paper bag to make a beverage. When opening a conventional tea bag, it is easy to inadvertently rip the paper tab off the string or the string off the bag. When this happens, the bag or bags drop to the bottom of the container making them difficult to remove. This is particularly problematic when using hot liquids and/or a deep container.
When making sun tea, large glass containers are often used, filled with water and tea bags, and placed in the sun to steep. This kind of container typically has a 4″ diameter mouth, holds 2–3 gallons of water, and has a valve built into the bottom of a glass or plastic jar. The valves leak and are prone to contamination. It is not practical or cost-effective to fix a faulty valve, so the entire container must be disposed and replaced. Also, the containers are heavy and cumbersome, especially when full. When made of glass, the containers are prone to shatter. These risks are particularly bothersome when children are present.
Conventional tea bags cannot fit inside of containers with small diameter openings. Also, conventional tea bags tend to expand and settle when they are exposed to water, making them difficult to easily remove from containers with small diameter openings.
A variety of devices have been proposed for making beverages in containers; however, none teach or suggest all the features of the present invention. None of the proposed devices teaches or suggests a device for making a beverage comprising a bag where the bag is dimensioned and configured for insertion and removal through a mouth of a container without the bag contacting the mouth and either a planar element, a supplemental attachment device for attaching a bag to a supplemental bag in series, or a rigid frame where the bag is disposed inside the rigid frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,086,073, issued Jul. 6, 1937 to D. L. Francescon, discloses a device for aging whiskey in glass containers with a glass tube for holding charcoal cubes. The Francescon glass tube is rigid, is used to hold charcoal and is not used to hold a beverage component. U.S. Pat. No. 3,039,644, issued Jun. 19, 1962 to M. Lefcort, discloses a compartmented beverage container, particularly for carbonated beverages. The Lefcort container has compartments for liquids and for gases. The walls between the compartments are generally rigid. U.S. Pat. No. 3,275,448, issued Sep. 27, 1966 to G. R. Sommer, discloses a hand-held comestibles container with water soluble product therein. The Sommer container is rigid and has no means of securing the container to the coffee cup.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,657,994, issued Apr. 25, 1972 to Post, discloses a combination container and dispenser. The Post container is rigid and is attached to a cup with a simple hook-shaped clip. U.S. Pat. No. 3,743,520, issued Jul. 3, 1973 to J. T. Croner, discloses a compartmented beverage container. The Croner container includes rigid compartments which can be ruptured. The Croner-compartments are hung inside the container. U.S. Pat. No. 4,167,899, issued Sep. 18, 1979 to McCormick, discloses a disposable unitary coffee maker with a coffee charge stored in a coffee holder wrap.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,581, issued Jun. 8, 1982 to Flansburg, discloses a multi-compartment container with pop-top and communicating door. The Flansburg container has a rigid separate compartment for storing a mixer. U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,630, issued Apr. 18, 1989 to Roberts, discloses a sun tea adapter for plastic cartons which is adapted to fit milk cartons. U.S. Pat. No. 5,424,083, issued Jun. 13, 1995 to Lozito, discloses a self contained disposable coffee brewing device with a basket. The Lozito basket has a flange that rests on the top surface of a coffee cup.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,929, issued Oct. 10, 1995 to Mifune et al., discloses ready-to-heat canned goods. Mifune discloses various cans with capsule bodies or bag-shaped members which open at a predetermined temperature. U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,472, issued Oct. 21, 1997 to Millman, discloses a decoction apparatus with a tea bag retainer for submerging tea bags. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,952,028 and 6,007,853, issued Sep. 14, 1999 and Dec. 28, 1999 to Lesser, disclose a disposable beverage infuser. The Lesser infusers have a porous filter which contains beverage material.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,269,736, issued Aug. 7, 2001 to Melton, discloses an infuser filter for making beverages. The Melton infuser includes a well portion for holding particulate flavoring material. U.S. Pat. No. 6,283,013, issued Sep. 4, 2001 to Romandy et al., discloses a tea steeper for a coffeemaker which rests on the top of a carafe. U.S. Pat. No. 6,372,270, issued Apr. 16, 2002 to Denny, discloses a drink mix apparatus for making personal quantities of beverage where tea bags are stored in a cap with a plunger device.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a device for making a beverage solving the aforementioned problems is desired.